Different is Beautiful!

My husband, Matt, knows that I have a huge heart when it comes to animals.  What he did not know was that we were both about to fall in love with adopting special needs dogs.

I discovered Penny on petfinder.com.  She is a gorgeous Chiweenie that was born with a severe overbite and a deformed front paw causing her to be a tripawd.  We were very nervous on the day of Penny's home visit.  Questions swirled in our minds.  Would we be able to care for a three-legged dog?  Would she need any special accommodations?  But, as soon as Penny hopped into the room, she stole my heart.

After meeting the rest of the pack, Penny did a grand leap right onto our couch.  We were stunned and embarrassed for having such silly preconceived notions about Penny's "special needs."  A few weeks later, she managed to scale our three foot pet gate...twice!  Penny is also starring in her first children's book, Priceless Penny, that chronicles her amazing adoption journey from a solo stray in California to a pampered pooch in Illinois  (www.pricelesspennyp.com).

 Penny strikes a pose.

Two years later, I came across the Dachshund Rescue North America website and was completely smitten by Hope.  She is a double dapple miniature Dachshund that was the product of backyard breeding.  Hope was born without eyes and is completely deaf.  Her former "owner" surrendered her to DRNA with a choke chain around her neck.

Matt was extremely hesitant about adopting Hope.  "How in the world can she function if she can't see or hear?" he asked.  We were about to find out.

When Hope arrived, we watched in amazement as she followed her nose to get her bearings.  She then navigated her way over to Matt and stood on his shoe.  We discovered that this is her special signal that she wants to be picked up and given kisses.

I will admit the first week was very rough.  Watching Hope run into the walls and furniture was simply heartbreaking.  Yet, she never made a sound.  She simply took a step back and tried again.

One week was all it took and Hope was running down the hall, racing to beat her fur siblings to the water bowl in the kitchen.  She can now climb stairs, open the bedroom closet doors with her nose and jump onto the furniture!  Hope has even garnered almost 2,000 followers on Instagram (@havinghopealways) and has been called an inspiration by all who meet her.  Even after all that she has been through; she loves to meet new people and cover them in kisses.

 Hope loves to snuggle!

Matt and I love to attend pet events and often have Penny and Hope in tow.  We wish to show the world that special needs dogs are truly amazing creatures that deserve to be adopted, loved and treasured.  To quote Penny’s moto:  Different is beautiful! 

WiggleLess Dog Back Brace Review

Ever since adopting our mini double dapple Dachshund, Hope, I have been learning as much as I possibly can about the breed.  I always knew that doxie owners had to be very careful about overfeeding their fur babies so as not to injure their tiny backs.  What I did not know about is IVDD.

According to www.petmd.com, "Intervertebral disc disease is a condition where the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spinal column either bulge or burst into the spinal cord space.  These discs then press on the nerves running through the spinal cord causing pain, nerve damage and even paralysis."  Dogs that suffer from IVDD basically have two options:  surgery or become wheelchair bound.

As you know, I love differently-abled animals and have always adored "wheelchair dogs."  The way that they zoom around is truly inspiring.  Yet, many pooches that have IVDD are euthanized because their families cannot afford the costly carts, which start at about $500.00.

The surgery to correct IVDD isn't any less costly. Not to mention the copious amount of down time that the dog will have to have post-op.  The kicker?  The surgery, while temporarily effective, may not last.

Armed with this frightening knowledge, I do everything within my power to make sure that Hope's precious little back is cared for correctly.  I carefully monitor her food intake.  I hold her in the proper positioning and greatly discourage my husband from doing "the baby" pose (holding Hope in his arms on her back).  But I still wonder, is it enough?

That is when I discovered the WiggleLess back brace.  The brace offers firm support, back stability and stress relief for your dog.  Not only will this brace help dogs with IVDD, but it can be worn as a preventative measure.

The aspect that I most love about the brace is how customizable it is.  Using the handy sizing guide featured on the WiggleLess website (www.wiggleless.com), I was able to order the perfect size for Hope.  I did not have to make any adjustments.

Each brace also comes with a step-by-step pictorial of how to place the brace on your dog.  I love that the pictures are of a real dog and not a crazy cartoon.  I found fitting Hope with the brace to be amazingly easy.

Unlike regular harnesses, the WiggleLess back brace features built-in boning for firm support.  The goal is to keep the spine properly aligned.  No squishy foam here!

After securing the brace, Hope seemed a bit confused.  She was very hesitant to walk and took only small steps.  I would like to point out that Hope was born without eyes and is completely deaf, which would explain a great deal of her confusion.

Hope wearing her WiggleLess back brace.

Hope soon began to prance around the room.  I noticed an immediate difference.  Her bottom tends to sway when she walks.  The sway was completely eliminated!  She also appeared to have a better sense of balance.  Hope walked in more of a straight line as opposed to her typical pull to the left or right.

She was a bit surprised when she attempted to curl up on her pet pillow.  Hope loves to do a variation on "shrimping," which the brace does not allow for.  Again, the goal is to keep the back/spine straight.  I believe that she will become more comfortable in a lying position the more that she wears the brace.

Overall, I would highly recommend the WiggleLess Dog Back Brace to all pet parents.  Especially if you own a Dachshund.  Their user friendly website is filled with useful information, including a link to everything IVDD.

IVDD is scary, but it doesn't have to be a death sentence.  Be proactive about your dog's back health.  Order your WiggleLess back brace today!

Sources:   www.petmd.com                        www.wiggleless.com